Few questions please

[Aj1987]

Hi all

I am currently unaware of my staus as my GUM clinic doesn’t routinely do Hep c tests unless they feel you are in the risk groups which I’m not

I wanted to know sometimes my mum does my laundry and is it safe for her to pick up / touch my stuff if she doesn’t wash her hands etc . And is there anything I should be worried about in the home like this , with regular points of contact like phones / remote controls etc .

Just worried if there was any blood or any fluids in my clothes etc .

Thanks

[Aj1987]

Also my mum grabbed hold of my hand after Ibhad just been applying a band aid to a very small cut and I hadn’t washed my hands yet is this a risk to her ?

[lporterrn]

Nothing to worry about.

[Aj1987]

Thanks for that one I have no huge glaring  obvious risk factors for hep c but a few months back a friend plucked my eyebrows with some tweezers I’m not sure if they were hers or her sisters . Also I’m worried I may have stuck myself with a needle or sharp object sometime but again this is probably my ocd

How risky is sharing tweezers ? Final question

[Lynn K]

If the tweezers had hep c infected blood in them and you jabbed yourself with the tweezers derp enough to break the skin and cause bleeding..... maybe.... otherwise no. In normal use no.

Hep c is a blood borne virus meaning hepatitis c infected blood must enter the blood stream of an uninfected person. Most common routes of infection is sharing IV drug needles or blood transfusion before 1990 then hep c antibody blood testing was approved and the blood supply secured.

From the Hepatitis C CDC FAQ for the general public:

“People can become infected with the hepatitis C virus during such activities as:

Sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment to prepare or inject drugs
Needlestick injuries in health care settings
Being born to a mother who has hepatitis C
Less commonly, a person can also get hepatitis C virus through

Sharing personal care items that may have come in contact with another person’s blood, such as razors or toothbrushes
Having sexual contact with a person infected with the hepatitis C virus
Getting a tattoo or body piercing in an unregulated setting”

https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/cfaq.htm#C1

[Aj1987]

Is normal hand washing  enough to keep other people safe if I get fluids on my hands at any time  , hot water and antibac soap ?

[Lynn K]

Normal simple hand washing with any soap is a good health idea for all to prevent the spread of the common cold and the flu and most any thing.

Not sure what kind if fluid you mean but even if you had hep c infected blood on your hands the simple mechanical action of hand washing and running water is good for removing most anything.

But in any event from your original question you are not at risk.

Did you read the link I provided above?

[Aj1987]

Probably ocd I’m just worried if I had a small bit of blood on my hand and transferednit to my phone or anything around the house and someone else touched it this could be a risk to them . I’m gojng out of my mind atm with worry I’ve been washing my hands and wiping my phone off with anti bac is this even nessicary?

[Aj1987]

Yes I’ve read it  I think the idea of just tiny bits of blood being infectious and surviving virus in there for long time period scares me a lot as obviously I can’t follow everyone around all day making sure they wash their hands or bleach every single surface every second

[Aj1987]

I have several scabs in my skin and out of habit I absently touch them then I’m worried about blood being on my hands and passing to family members and potentially infecting them

[Lynn K]

Hep c infected blood must enter the blood stream of an uninfected person through an open fresh injury. You DO NOT have hep c you cannot transmit something you don’t have.

Constant cleaning in un necessary using antibacterial cleaning is unnecessary unless you were cleaning in a hospital that has had a serious MRSA out break or something similar.  Bleach is a necessary unless you’re cleaning up a crime scene.

 For the majority of everything in our lives normal periodic handwashing especially after using the bathroom is all that is required.

I suggest you see a counselor it seems the only health problem you have is anxiety about illness if you treat the condition you do have it it will greatly improve your quality of life.

Best of luck to you.